Perfect Soldier
by Alicia Marianne
Summary: Stryker has just replaced Logan with the ideal female feral and her mutant partner. Trouble is, she's insane, her partner is immortal, Stryker wants him dead for weapon XI and Creed will 'free the animal' in her no matter the consequences. Origins-set
1. 1964

Hey yall, just want to let you know, please bear with me! I know this a long chappy, but it's worth it, as this is going to be one heck of a story! It'll probably entwine with my other X-men story, Clockwork, so go read that too! That's why I'm setting the dates very specifically, because everything will fall into place.

I just want to clear out that I assume Wolverine leaves the X team in the year 1974, having joined it around 1973. It's around the Vietnam war era, but the movie wasn't too specific.

Anyways, this chapter happens in the past… and it happens rather fast… I'm usually more detailed, but I'm trying to skip the useless stuff so this doesn't become too long.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own X-men, unfortunately, because they'd never get to see Wade Wilson and Victor Creed again…

(0)

_1964, ten years earlier in southern Manitoba, Canada_

"C'mon, Chelsea, it'll be fun!" One of my friends urged, pulling on my joined hands, trying to make me step out of my bedroom door and into the corridor. The two other girls behind her, both friends of mine as well, giggled and gestured towards me, inviting me to join them. They were doing a heck of a lot of noise, and I was happy my parents were out for the evening; they wouldn't have tolerated this kind of excited behavior in the house…

"Lisa, you know how much I don't like going out to… parties like that. Just go along with Kim and Sue, I'll stay home!" I assured her, twisting my wrists to reclaim them as my own.

"And you'll do what all evening?" Kimberly asked coolly from behind Lisa, who was still holding on to me. "Do you homework? Study for Monday's test?"

Susan burst out laughing from beside Kim. "Yeah! Come on, Sea, it's Friday night, your parents are out until _way_ late, you can at least go to David's party, have a good time and then drop back here before anyone will notice that you're gone!" She gave her short, dark hair a fluffing with her hand, smoothing out a few wrinkles in her long skirt at the same time with the other.

I sighed, defeated, and managed to yank my arms free of Lisa's grip. The three girls squealed in delight at my abandon and I raised a threatening finger before any of them could say anything, glaring at the lot.

"If I get into trouble for this…"

Kimberly shook her head, silencing me with a wave of her hand. "You worry too much, Chelsea… It'll wrinkle you! Now let's get going!"

I followed suit, my head hanging low. Truth was, I was indeed worried, but for reasons the girls could never understand. I knew very well what happened when I went to places that had too many people, too much noise and where my control over myself started to slip… I knew what lay beneath my calm, calculated appearance and that if I lost control, if I let _that_ loose, I would never be able to live normally again.

I bit my lip guiltily. My three only and closest friends had no idea of what walked amongst them…

(0)

David's father was a rich attorney and they had a huge house on an even huger piece of land… that's why the boy was so popular at our school and that's why he fought to maintain that popularity by hosting big bonfire parties in the woods near his home. I knew he hadn't personally invited me, mostly because he had no idea who I was, but I think Lisa knew him, because we had no trouble finding the place and being let onto the terrain by a few security guards securing the main gate to the lot.

Their entire plot of land was surrounded by a big fence and the only way in or out was through the gateway we had just crossed. I figured that would be a good safety-first argument if my mom and dad ever found I had been here. The thought of them knowing I'd gone out sent shivers down my spine, almost erasing my general nervousness at being present at the party. Lisa, sitting in the backseat of Sue's car with me, took my hand and patted it reassuringly.

"Why are you so nervous about this? I know you don't go out much…"

Kim scoffed. "Try not at all…"

Lisa glared at the back of her head before turning back to me. "Don't listen to her. Everything's going to be okay."

I nodded, not free from worry.

(0)

At least my friends were having fun… I sighed as I stared at them dancing around with a couple boys near the fire, laughing and giggling sheepishly, holding alcoholic drinks in their hands. I had declined taking any, preferring to keep a maximum of my self-control when people from all sides surrounded me like this. For the moment, I was alone on a little bench just beyond the circle of light coming from the flames, enjoying the peace I was given.

I spend quite some time in this embarrassing solitude before I saw a young, blonde boy heading my way with a smile on his face, casual steps carrying him towards my huddled, shy form. I tried to act like I hadn't noticed him, looking in the other direction, but I could not ignore the sudden fluttering of my heart. I had recognized him even though he was far away, had recognized that perfect face, flowing hair and glacier eyes…

"Heya." Michael dropped down on my seat, right next to me. I didn't dare look up at him, my cheeks turning a bright red.

"Hi." I whispered.

"You don't look like you're having a lot of fun…"He noted, checking me out.

I shrugged. "I'm not a… a crowd person."

I heard him laugh softly and finally glanced up, smiling shyly. I had made him laugh! The nicest, cutest boy in school was laughing at one of my comments! My heart was threatening to burst, but the moment was ruined when a strange feeling twisted my stomach… it felt as though something had stirred… I concentrated, pushing that feeling down, holding it, locking it away. Michael was talking, but I wasn't listening, trying to muster the strength to fight down _that_…

"What do you say?" He obviously repeated himself, sounding slightly annoyed.

"To what?" I had to fight myself not snap back at him, my temper suddenly short.

Michael rolled his eyes. "To the two of us going off a bit… further. You're not a crowd person and I've had enough of this party… we could make this more _personal_."

"I-I… uhh"

Before I could answer anything, he got up and pulled me after him towards where a small forest started, away from the bonfire, as I threw an alarmed look over my shoulder towards my friends… they were of course too busy flirting openly to pay any attention to me. I wondered what I should do, if I should scream.

Once under the cover of the trees, Michael, grabbed my upper arms brutally, quite painfully, and made me swirl around until my back hit the rough bark of a tree. I gasped from the jolt of pain that coursed through my body, still feeling strange under my skin… something was walking up inside of me and I was having trouble concentrating on anything else. The young, handsome boy pushed his body closer to mine and I focused my shy gaze on his heavy one, heard him panting excitedly onto my face.

"You know, Chelsea, you're a really pretty girl…" He murmured, moving closer still.

"Michael, I…" He cut me off very suddenly, pressing his full lips roughly against mine, stopping me dead in my tracks.

When I had imagined this adorable boy kissing me in my reveries, it had always been gentle, delicate and romantic… something was wrong now, however; his hands were slipping over my hips, uninvited, and his mouth was too strong against mine, too demanding… the thing inside me stirred angrily as I desperately tried to push him away a little to calm down, get some air…

"Please, I don't… like this…" I gasped as soon as he let me breathe for a second. But Michael ignored my plea completely, pulling at my thin sweater until it broke at the seams. I cried out, pushing him back, but he held on tightly, grabbing me around the throat, staring into my terrified eyes coldly, cruelly.

"You can't say no to me." He snarled, almost like a beast, now fighting to lift up my skirt. I felt tears streaming down my face as I clenched my legs shut, panicking and wondering what I should do…

I was spared the need to do anything at all when his big, cold hand grabbed my thigh beneath my clothes. Something inside me snapped with a nearly audible crack, something finally broke free from the dam that had been holding it back… that anomaly living within me was making it's way out of the chains I had set up for it when I found out it existed, years ago, and somehow, I wasn't keen on holding it back at that very moment.

All the changes happened rapidly, suddenly, but with a wave of pain that nauseated me for the few seconds it lasted. My sight changed instantly, becoming very accurate, precise and the night became as bright as day as every sound surrounding me was perceptible, from the ruffling to leaves to the beating of Michael's heart… a dull, long pain erupted near the end of my fingers and inside my mouth: I could feel my nails grow suddenly, even though I had no idea how long they were becoming; in my jaw, needle-sharp fangs pressed harshly against my bared lips…

My skin felt electrified as every tiny contact sent jolts of sensations to my brain… it was almost agonizing… but not nearly as excruciating as the desperate need to maim the boy that was trying to force his manhood into me now… he hadn't even noticed the changes that had occurred so brutally to me.

I let a thick, angry growl bubble in my chest before allowing it to seethe through my exposed line of fangs, a dangerous rumble that would not even have been emitted by a rabid tiger. The sound finally attacked Michael's attention and he looked down at my face, stopping dead in his tracks… he had seen my eyes, and I knew just how terrifying they were now: no irises, only an inch-long black slit for a pupil that stared, unblinking, terrible and menacing. His gaze fell to the row of pointed teeth in my mouth and he finally took a rapid step back, crying out his fear.

I gathered myself into a pounce against the big tree and… bolted right at his throat, burying my mouth into his arteries, cutting through the soft flesh like a warm blade through butter, actually enjoying the spurts of warm liquid that filled my jaw in cadence with his petrified heart. We fell back like two lovers, tumbling into the fallen leaves with grunts, me on top of him and him, with arms flailing around wildly.

A gurgle escaped the open gap in his neck and I pulled my own head back, crouching on his airless chest, releasing a bellowing roar up into the night, screaming my joyous victory. It felt so wonderful to have reduced this stupid boy to a mass of dead skin… to have stopped him from harming me… to have fought against his useless strength… I was animal, damnit, a killing machine and a perfected hunter!

Voice arose nearby and I saw, with that perfect vision on mine, a couple female humans coming my way… I crouched again, waiting patiently, silently…

They finally burst out of the trees near me and saw the scene before them with weak human vision… they were three, all of them screaming…

I got ready to leap again, feeling something swishing right behind me. I glanced back… ah, yes, I remembered now; I had a tail when I became like this… it was pulsating from my lower back like a tentacle, long and catlike, showing my eagerness to attack again, to kill…

"Chelsea!" One of the human females screamed, pointing towards me.

My animal brain froze… what remained of my humanity fought to hold it back… I knew who this girl was… she was one of my friends, yes! Her name was Lisa! I could not harm her! Nor could I attack the two others…

A low growl got caught in my throat and I backed up slowly on all fours, getting off the dead boy's chest and slinking off into the night. None of the humans dared follow me.

"Sorry…" I hissed just loud enough for them to hear, barely able to talk under the needful strain of the beast I was. I felt my basic instincts taking over forcefully… now I needed to run, run as fast as I could and as far as I could to get away…

(0)

_1965, a year later, in South Carolina_

The name 'illegal alien' was tossed around a lot these days… and the government was hot on everyone's heals to get those who didn't belong in the USA out of the country as fast as they could. Most 'illegal's were of course either from Europe, Mexico and Asia and had a good tendency to stand out of the crowd, unable to adapt, resulting in their rapid capture and deportation.

I, on the other hand, was from Canada and was a pretty smart cookie. Not to mention I was very proud.

If I had to leave the country at any time in the near or distant future, it would be by my own free choice and not because I did some stupid mistake and got caught at it. I had changed since that faithful night where I was forced to leave my life behind and flee, and since then, I had to admit I was doing pretty damn well for a seventeen-year-old pretending to be a legal adult.

My thick auburn hair was longer, falling to my lower back and I had grown heavy bangs that covered my forehead nicely. My body had muted slowly into that of a young woman, breasts swelling and hips curving, and makeup had aided in making my soft face seem a little harsher. I still went by happily by the name of Chelsea, but was affectionately named 'Catsea' at the small restaurant where I worked just outside of town.

Of course, no one knew I did not exist in the US registrar, all thinking I was a normal, adventurous woman of 21 years of age (with fake ID), born and raised in Georgia, living in Estil, South Carolina for a year already.

No one knew that the apartment I rented in the tiny city if Estil had no official lease, that I paid the owner cash, no questions asked, and that my boss at the Barlow Restaurant & Bar paid me under the table because I told him I didn't want my asshole of a father to prove he could stop paying for me now that I had a job…

Lying had been easy. Running had been easy too: I had trekked from Manitoba across the border and through the States under that half-human, half-animal form, living from what I hunted and sleeping in caves and abandoned shacks. When I had decided to settle down and start living humanly again, organizing a home, job and story had been a breeze…

But actually starting to be a human again… that had been hard. The beast inside me was something I could not deny; for whatever reason I was plagued with that odd power, I was plagued with it for good. It had broken free once, and it would do so again, I knew. No matter how hard I tried to push it away, it remained just beneath my skin, seething, burning, stirring at the slightest occasion, always on the lookout for cracks it could slink through, for moment where it could be free.

Of course, I worked surrounded by people, mainly because I had no other choice. At times it was extremely difficult to control myself, especially when drunken men and their jealous wives started to assault me, or when flirtatious males began thinking they could have their way with me. At those times, the beast would push through just a little, just enough for me to growl animally in an answer to those people, show my teeth like a feline and slink off to the kitchens to find loneliness.

That's why I had earned the name 'Catsea'.

Life was not easy, but I had nowhere else to go, and I was tiered of running endlessly without a goal. I just squared my shoulders and kept doing my job as a waitress to earn my paycheck and assure my apartment and food. A life of boredom, but a life nonetheless… being a rabid beast was not something I was keen on, no matter what.

But just when I thought there was nothing else out there for me than solitude and fighting against my nature, I was put on the path of a creature even more amazing that me.

God works in mysterious ways, they say…

On a night like so many others, when I was working past my normal hours because the restaurant was overcrowded, I saw him for the first time. He came in; so unsure of his own footsteps, as if wondering what on earth he was doing here and why he had decided to stop at this particular place. He was wearing a long, beige trench coat that bulged slightly on his back and that he refused to take off even when I offered to hang it, his short, blonde hair falling in messy strands around his light, flawless face, electric blue eyes sweeping the room suspiciously.

I found him beautiful from the very first second. He was so handsome in a perfect, powerful and yet delicate way… I had never seen another human being muster that strange kind of loveliness before… and as soon as I laid my eyes on him, the beast inside me stopped fighting.

Even through my exhaustion, my wariness and my savagery, I suddenly felt at peace. I understood that I was suddenly where I was supposed to be and as if someone had whispered it to my ear, I knew that everything was finally going to be okay, that the world had just fallen into place.

It took him longer to notice me, however. After I offered to take his coat and he denied, I proposed to seat him in a quiet corner of the restaurant, but he did not answer… he was still looking around slowly, searching for someone in particular.

I was hesitant to leave him, knowing I had a lot of work on my hands, but somehow, I didn't move a muscle until those striking blue eyes finally, slowly, fell on me. They changed noticeably when our gazes crossed, becoming suddenly very soft, almost… amorous.

"There you are. I'll sit over here." He said in a deep, soothing voice, gesturing to the lonely table for two I had wanted to propose to him in the first place. "Come see me when you're done with your work."

I sensed all the gentleness, all the kindness coming from him just by the way he talked. If I were to see his soul, I somehow knew it would be a blinding, pure white color, like that of a saint. He walked off more assuredly now, as if he had new purpose in his life, sitting down at the table.

And I resumed work, hurriedly now, very curious of whom this man was and why he had come in here like he was searching for me. Funny enough, I didn't even think for a second that he might be from the government or something… I trusted him with my very life and we had only exchanged a few words!

When I was done, I joined him at the table. And we talked until the night turned back into day.

His name was Gabriel and he had been wandering over the country for the past year, searching for something… he didn't even know what! He had interrupted his whole existence to follow an overwhelming instinct to find that unknown thing that he was meant to find. Those instincts had finally ceased driving him nearly insane when his eyes fell on me, after searching the whole restaurant like he had searched so many other places, always on the lookout…

He told me that he was different from other people and he knew that I was different too… that didn't alarm me in the slightest, but I did ask him how he was unusual, if he had a beast inside him like I did.

He laughed in clear, crystalline amusement. "No, not at all. Even thought I don't know exactly how you are special, I can guarantee I am nothing like you. But don't let that make you sad; no one out there is like me either, even if I know that there are many… mutants in our likeness in this world."

I was amazed! I had never imagined there would be others like me, living with weird powers and abilities, trapped in a human world that could only fear and resent. I wanted him to show me what he was, so we decided to drive out into the forest, away from civilization, and explore further our own differences.

We were two cosmic pieces of a puzzle that had finally been put together. The animal inside me could feel it more than I could: my destiny, my whole existence was entwined with this Gabriel's, and we'd known each other for only a couple hours.

The two of us walked through the forest when we got there, so perfectly in unison… he belonged at my side like no one else ever could. But I couldn't even tell if it was love that I was feeling, or if it was something greater, something beyond the two of us…

We reached a remote clearing after a lengthy walk and it was only then that Gabriel finally removed that trench coat of his. What I saw remained etched in my memory until today, the amazement that I felt still as strong, and I remember staring at his beauty with a gaping mouth…

When his coat slipped off his strong shoulders, a set of huge, magnificent, blindingly white angel wings unfurled from his back, opening to their full extent and reaching at least three meters each. I knew they were soft before I even touched them, just like I knew that I belonged wrapped up in them before we said another word.

"You're an angel…" I finally whispered.

Gabriel chuckled gently. "Not exactly." His wings folded to his back and I noticed he was bare-chest… it had to be impossible to wear a shirt with such appendages coming from his shoulder blades! "I have these wings, which are nearly impossible to hide, by the way, but I am not God-sent. I have never seen Him, nor do I know if He is real."

I didn't mind. Wings or not, he was perfect either way. "Do you have any other powers?"

He nodded. "My skin in indestructible… well, against attacks such as bullet wounds, scratches and blade wounds… fire doesn't burn me and the cold doesn't freeze me. But repeated assaults eventually do cause me to wound, even if I heal within seconds afterwards. Also, my wings can become like this…" He extended them fully behind his back… I gasped when I saw the feathery appendages turn into hard, yet very mobile metal. Every feather was as detailed and delicate as before, but had become a hard, unbreakable armor of cold, metallic silver.

"You're immortal." I concluded, awed.

"Again, not exactly." He smiled pleasantly. "I am over seven hundred years old, having walked this world for eons without aging a day, and I cannot be mortally wounded, but I know for one that I am not immune to poison or mental destruction…"

"Mental destruction?" I was puzzled. He shrugged slightly, keeping his handsome smile.

"There are 'mutants', like us, who do not have physical transformations. Instead, they can accomplish things with their minds… some came move objects around, while others can… manipulate the psyche or outwardly annihilate it."

I was so full of question, so desperate for answers. He touched my shoulder with a big, gentle hand soothed me immediately.

"Show me what you are." He whispered.

And without a second thought, I let go of the beast, let it take it's rightful place as a part of me, let my nails extend into two-inch long claws, my eyes become iris-less pupil slits, my teeth a long row of needle-thin fangs, my tail erupting from my back lazily, long and feline…

But this time everything was different.

Everything was painless.

(0)

God what a long chapter; 9 pages! Sorry there aren't any of the Origins characters yet, but I swear they'll be there in the next chapter! You guys know I'm slow on starting up, but I just wanted my two OCs to get their story down and understood.

Team X will step in next chapter, promise!

Please review, tell me what you think!


	2. Meet the team

Thank you all for reviewing, it's great to see someone is interested in following the story lol! I hope you enjoy this chapter even more than the previous.

Just want to answer Niffer's review, as I can't email it: no, I didn't base my description of Gabriel on Ben Foster, because I had no idea what the guy look like until I just googled him a few seconds ago lol (he is kinda cute thought)! But the name Gabriel is indeed related to the archangel, although I always imagine Gabriel (the angel) as being dark-haired and dark-eyed and kind of cynically evil even though he's holy. I imagine Michael as the blonde, blue-eyed I'm-hopelessly-romantic-and-devote kind of guy, but the name Michael was used for a human character at the start of my story, and I wanted to change 'my conception' of the archangel Gabriel. I'm terribly imaginative in my daily life…

(0)

_1967, two years later, in the Nevada desert._

He was nothing more than a dark shape shooting across the night sky, long angel wings beating the hot air soundlessly, holding her huddled form in his arms. He could feel her warm blood running down his fingers and falling to the earth, could feel his heart bursting with panic and worry as he tried to get them as far from Las Vegas as he could so they'd be safe while he checked her wounds.

He spotted a small hill a long way from the highway and decided to land there, keeping hidden in the shrubs. No one would be able to find them, if anyone was still looking…

Gabriel set Chelsea down into the dusty ground, on her back, hearing her ragged breath as her chest rose and fell rapidly, showing the pain she was in. Her eyes were closed, irises going wild behind her lids and her forehead was burning up already…

He ran gentle hands over her shirt and she flinched, groaning in her unconsciousness as he lifted up the cloth to expose the ugly wound that barred her stomach… he noted that several bullets had penetrated her skin, most of them exiting through her back, some remaining buried in her insides…

The angel gritted his teeth, tears welling up in his eyes at the sight of his love dying slowly in the sand, right in front of him, while he slowly understood that there was nothing he could do to save her… they were miles away from help and besides, it was most unwise to return to Vegas to get her healed. They'd pushed it too far this once, playing with their luck one time too many, and it was time to pay.

"Damn it…" Gabriel wasn't the swearing type, but it was all he could utter as despair got him in a vice grip. He knew, both of them knew, that she had no healing factor like he did, no indestructible skin and yet they had still decided to live the life of thieves, so dangerously taunting fate with every casino they tricked and robbed, every bank they assaulted and emptied…

And why? Just for the feeling of power it gave them, just to break the routine of eternity the angel had fallen into and live a little, always dumping the money in some places where it was needed, never keeping any of their wins… had it been worth it, in the end? Was it worth to watch the only creature he loved die right before his eyes as he stood by worthlessly, only because it had seemed like the right thing to do?

Chelsea let out a pained moan, shifting slightly. He could feel her slipping, as she slowly exited the world between the worlds to move on beyond that, in the cold, eternal arms of death…

"I won't let you down." He whispered like a promise, grabbing the girl's head and lifting it up gently. Gabriel noted that one of her hands had no transformed back into that of a human, so he pressed his bared wrist against it harshly, letting her feline claws dig into his flesh so hard that it finally started to give in, finally started to bleed.

His blood ran from the wound, silver and thick and his body was already starting to heal itself… quick, he suppressed the natural power, letting the gash stay open, spurting silvery liquid to the ground to mix in with the red blood already there.

Not even sure of what he was doing, Gabriel pressed his hurt wrist to his love's mouth, forcing her to accept the blood he was loosing, forcing it down her throat and into her belly… she chocked, coughed and tried to fight him back meagerly, but he suddenly knew that she had to take in as much of the silver substance as she could…

The world was becoming blurry, the various arteries he had sliced were letting him die rather fast as he emptied himself of his blood like a simple human would…

Everything faded slowly into darkness, but Gabriel knew he wasn't done yet. Chelsea had slipped far into the realm of death, and he was getting her back out no matter what.

(0)

_1974, seven years later, present time, secret Team X base_

Major William Stryker signed, sitting down at his desk. He pulled a couple files closer to him, opening them without much interest… this had been a long couple of days for him, filled with too many problems that just seemed to pile up one after the other.

He was still unsure of the location of the meteorite that carried adamantium, having found to actual lead in Africa and the whole damn expedition had ended in a fiasco when Logan decided to walk out on them. Thankfully, Creed had decided to stay, the advantages presented for him in Team X remained far greater than to follow his younger brother into nothingness.

But now, Stryker found himself with an incomplete team that was not strong enough for his taste with the members it had, and he realized he would need someone new to take Logan's place… the ideal would have been to find a feral with a regenerating ability like Creed and his brother had, but they were unique cases that had not been located anywhere else.

'Wait a minute…' He frowned, searching through the files on his desk. He _had_ recently received one concerning a feral, but had not had enough time to fully check it out. It lay on the corner of his table, collecting dusk that he brushed off before setting it down in front of him and flipping it open.

He was looking down at the face of a young female with auburn hair and dark brown eyes… the picture was poor, as it had been taken with a security camera, but it was clear enough to unmistakably show who she was.

"Name: Hersom, Chelsea May; Date of birth: May 31st 1948; Age:…information unconfirmed? What the…" Stryker was interested now; wanting to know what this was all about. He furthered the description. "Ability report: Feral transformation when attacking, fully human appearance when at rest. Possible lack of aging, immortality (?). Regeneration factor theoretically not present, but unconfirmed. Please read note at the end of file concerning often-seen partner."

Stryker moved the few pages around, trying to find the last one. As said, there was a small note written on yellow paper that referred him to an entirely different file that contained information about another mutant. He opened it and saw the picture of a young man with striking blue eyes and messy, light-blond hair that had a set of giant, white wings opened up widely behind him. His picture was also taken by a security camera, but was a lot clearer than the girl's.

The major read the file, his eyebrows rising with every word he took in. The mutant's name was unknown, his DOB unconfirmed and his age a total mystery. The only thing specified was that he had angels wings that enabled him to fly and had often been seen turning into indestructible metal and that no weapon was able to cause damage to his skin. The file specified that he was always with Chelsea May Hersom, the two of them ripping off banks, casinos, mobsters and rich bureaucrats for nine years already.

The pair had never been caught, never been stopped although a small note suggested that Chelsea had supposedly been shot several times by the mobsters owning a casino in Vegas, even if the two had fled quickly before any damage done to her had been confirmed.

Stryker smiled knowingly to himself. The girl would be an ideal replacement for Logan, an interesting addition to his team of male fighters and the mutant accompanying her would prove his worth if they managed to analyze his DNA and get something out of it. The major thought briefly about his secret project of creating the ultimate soldier, combining several different powers to make one mutant absolutely invincible. It wasn't advancing well so far, as the abilities he tried to mix were volatile and prone to destroying one another in the end… perhaps this 'angel' would be an advancement to the experiment.

He pressed an intercom button on his desk and spoke into it calmly.

"Bradley, find Zero, Creed, Wade, Wraith and Duke and meet me all in the entrance hall at fifteen hundred hours. We've got a mission on our hands."

The answer came immediately from the young mutant, who could respond kinetically through the intercom. "So soon, sir? We've just got back."

"I know, but it's of outmost importance. Now go." Stryker ordered briskly, knowing he had a few things to look into before they would have to leave. He had given himself and his soldiers a few hours to prepare, but he would need the time more than they would.

"Yes, sir I'm on it."

(0)

Chris Bradley left his room, from which he had received the intercom message from Stryder. He was slightly disappointed on having to leave so soon after getting back to the base, but work was work and he had signed up to be ready for missions at any moment of the day or night. It was now eleven in the morning, they had been back for two hours only and would be leaving at three in the afternoon, which left him with just enough time to relax, rest up and be ready for use.

The young blonde walked through the corridor that held the dormitory rooms on either side of it, passing the bathrooms at the end of it (there were four in total, which was often enough to accommodate them all, seeing as no one seemed to be sleeping and living at the same hours here) and made it to the large living room at the far end.

There, he immediately saw Fred Dukes practicing some hits on the heavy punching bag attached to the ceiling while several other of the things lay in a corner of the room, broken in half and spilling their sandy guts over the floor. He seemed to be about to split that punching bag open as well, close to sending it to the mass graveyard already accumulated on the ground.

Further in the room, seated on the sofas behind the foosball and ping pong tables, watching the huge TV screen that currently displayed the world news, where Agent Zero and Wade Wilson, the former calmly undoing and washing his guns while the latter impatiently sharpened his swords, glancing at the TV, annoyed.

"Seriously, Big O, can't we watch anything else than this? There's a Nascar race on and I'm not particularly interested in who ran over a kangaroo in southern Australia." Wade finally snapped at the Asian gunman. He got no reaction whatsoever and just kept sharpening his katanas while grumbling to himself.

"Uhh, guys?" Bradley piped up, trying to get their attention. At that moment, Fred Dukes sent a final blow at the punching bag and it split open vertically, emptying itself of the light-colored sand that filled it. The big man turned around, panting slightly, sweat running down his brow.

"Hey, Bradley." He wheezed. The two others seated on the sofa turned around vaguely, eyes curious.

Chris nodded back. "Stryder asked me to tell you to be ready at fifteen hundred hours in the entrance hall. We're leaving on a new mission."

Dukes squinted, confused. Wade noted the expression and rolled his eyes, shaking his head sadly. "That's three o'clock in the afternoon for you, Fred."

Sadly enough, that answered cleared all doubt from the big blonde man. Zero turned back around indifferently, continuing to work on his guns, but Bradley knew that the information had passed: the Agent was mostly quiet, but always keen on pleasing Stryder, so he'd be ready when he had to be.

"Where can I find Creed and Wraith?" Chris asked before they fully turned their attention away.

Wade gave it a moment's thought, staring at the ceiling. "Well, Kitty Claws in probably in the Fight Room, getting the bad out of himself, and John must have gone to sleep, knowing him…"

"Does Creed know you call him Kitty Claws, Wade?" Dukes chuckled.

Wade smirked back, turning his head to the TV and trying to enjoy the useless worldly information that was passing on it. Bradley left the room without another word, heading for the Fight Room's observation area, from where he'd be able to see if Victor really was there.

The FR was a huge, circular room about fifty feet across, the ground made of dark-colored sand and with the ceiling rising about forty feet into the air. It was full of cylindrical-shaped towers of various sizes, some of them thick and small, others tall and slim, which were used in the various exercises the place offered: it could be sparing between two team members, bullet dodging (paintball guns were used to see how many bullets had been dodged) or holographic-image fighting. Either way, the place was great for one to practice his powers and general physical combat. Needless to say, Bradley wasn't in there often, as his powers were more defensive than offensive, and he had a whole team of psychotic mutants to keep him safe while he worked in the background.

The observation room was a glass paneled, small area situated about twenty-five feet from the ground that allowed one to watch how the person in the FR was fighting without missing a thing. It was accessible only by an elevator, which the young mutant used, powering it with his mind.

He got into the room and walked up to the glass wall, glancing down into the room. Immediately, he knew that someone was in there, but whether it was Creed or Wraith, he wasn't sure: dust was rising and falling everywhere, sand exploding this way and that as the paintball bullets rained from the guns at the ceiling, trying to catch whoever was dodging them.

Bradley squinted and with a little luck, spotted Wraith for a second when the mutant popped out of thin air from one place to another at surprising speed. Running around on all fours, bouncing off the walls and cylinders was also Victor Creed, who seemed bent on catching the phasing mutant that was in the room with him, all the while trying not to get hit by paintballs.

Chris walked up to the computer monitoring the exercise and shut it down with a blink of his eyes. Everything stopped and down below, Creed looked up at him angrily.

"Hey! What the hell?" He barked, showing his teeth. Bradley had always been kind of afraid of the man, so he made his reply quick and to the point.

"Stryder wants us ready at fifteen hundred hours, in the hall. We're going on another mission." He used the intercom to communicate with the FR. He saw Wraith phase onto the top of one of the highest cylinders, nodding.

"Got it, Bradley. Now start this baby up again!"

He and Creed were fighting with renewed energy when the young blonde mutant left through the elevator.

(0)

At three p.m. sharp, the team was piling into one of the base's two helicopters, Stryder having decided to fill them in while they were on their way to find the two mutants. He'd made a few phone calls, reaching the right people, and had pinpointed their targets all the way to their current location, which was in a popular, go-go girl casino in South California. He'd learned that the feral girl was working there for a couple weeks already, undercover, and that no one was aware of her powers. Her pet angel was watching from the sidelines to make sure she was safe and the pair had probably set up this charade to eventually backstab the owners of the place and be gone with their loot.

"We are going to bring back two new mutants to the base to recruit them to Team X." Stryder announced through the microphone headsets they were all carrying in order to hear each other over the chopper's noise.

Everyone seemed suddenly a lot more interested, especially Creed, who was keen on knowing who would be replacing his brother.

"How are the new guys called?" Wade asked immediately, hands tapping his swords impatiently.

"Guy and girl, Wade. The female is a feral mutant with unconfirmed regeneration abilities; her name is Chelsea May Hersom. The male accompanying her is unknown, but his powers are angel wings and indestructible skin." The major explained.

"Nothing is indestructible." Creed growled, probably more to himself than to anyone else. But it was easy to tell that he was intrigued by the presence of a female on the team. Dukes was already grinning broadly, chewing on a piece of gum.

"Is she purdy?" He asked, making nearly everyone roll they eyes in response.

"Thinking of getting a new tattoo, Fred?" Wade asked back, but the bigger man didn't get the pun, ignoring him completely.

"Hey physical appearance remains human until she starts to fight, from where she turns into a feral. I have no other information about that, Dukes." Stryder sighed.

"Good, at least we won't have another member in constant need of a manicure." Wade said, amused.

"We might have a member in constant need of a new head, if you keep this up, Wade." Creed growled with an animal smirk.

John sighed audibly. "Hey, c'mon boys, play nice."

(0)

They landed a couple hours later to a location just outside of town, from where they took two land rovers to reach their final destination. It had been determined that Wade, Bradley and Creed would stay outside in case something went wrong and that the others would follow Stryder inside to approach the girl and her angel. The major wanted to be alone when he talked to her, so those with him were instructed to make themselves invisible and stay on standby; the man wasn't worried about anything going wrong: he was used to recruiting new members, knowing what to offer them to make them change their minds.

The casino was filled with half-naked girl dressed up in various, sexy costumes. There was a cowgirl (Wraith found himself staring at her), a femme fatale, a geisha, a pirate and dancing gracefully on the bar, with several men hooting at her, an army girl with long, auburn hair that fell all the way to her ass. Dukes wolf-whistled excitedly, until he caught the look Stryder sent at him and slunk off into a corner of the room to make himself invisible.

Wraith walked off, seating himself at the bar and trying to seem uninterested by the half-naked females walking all around him. Stryder moved a bit closer to Zero, taking to him in a low voice so they wouldn't be overheard.

"The angel mutant, he's in the far left corner…"

"Yes, I see him." Zero confirmed with a nod.

"Make sure he doesn't interfere. The girl's obviously the one leading the two of them, so she's the one that had to be approached first. If he tries to fight, neutralize him at you best."

The Asian man nodded curtly. "Yes, sir." He walked swiftly away, approaching the angel, who kept is wings hidden beneath a beige trench coat, trying to stay undetected yet close. It wasn't hard to do, as the blonde mutant was watching the dancing army girl intently, following her every move like a lover who wants to make sure nothing harms the one he loves.

This was not going to be easy.

(0)

Okay, I'll stop here and throw all the crazy-ass action in the next chapter. Hope you like this and that I haven't made anyone OOC.

Please review, tell me what you think.


	3. Fight, lovely

Yay people read the story!

Guys, please check out the poll on my profile, I really need your vote to decide the next events! Thanks and enjoy!

(0)

Zero sat down a couple bar stools away from the angel mutant, nodding the barmaid away when she approached him to ask what he wanted to drink. He pretended to be interested in the army-disguised feral girl, noting all her details while keeping an eye on her partner near him. The girl was slender, long legs clad in knee-high combat boots, wearing a camouflage miniskirt and white tank top that shower her delicate, yet cut muscles. She wore dogs tag around her neck, long auburn hair falling thick to her lower back as she gracefully moved her body, exquisitely alluring. The vapid males around her were too excited to note anything, but Zero could tell that she was the ideal image of agility, speed and strength just by the way she moved… still, she wouldn't be able to dodge his bullet if it were meant for her.

He noted that Stryker had taken a seat in a far corner, sending one of the waitresses for the feral girl. It wouldn't be long before she was approached and probably convinced, as the Asian man knew the major to be very persuasive… he always seemed to hold the right cards to make any game sway in his favor.

"Not a smart idea." A voice near him said softly and he turned around rapidly, looking right at the angel mutant, who was still gazing at his feral colleague. They were alone in that part of the small casino, so it was unmistakably him who had spoken.

"And why so?" Zero answered in a low voice.

The angel sighed. "Approaching her when I'm not nearby is dangerous. If you think she'd the one leading us, you should think again… it used to be that way, but not anymore…"

The agent shifted slightly, frowning.

"Who says we want to come near her?"

The angel sent him a long, dark look. "I can sense the likes of you coming from far away. I know what you want, and I would rather warn you than to have her kill your leader." He nodded towards Stryker. "Whatever it is he wants, we are probably not interested."

Zero considered this change of events rapidly, wondering what he should do.

"What if you're the one we talk to first?"

Suddenly, before the angel could answer, a loud bang and screams erupted from the outside and everyone present turned around briskly, silence falling. The feral girl had stopped dancing, hand grabbing her thick mane, eyes strangely empty…

With a roar and explosive bang, someone came flying into the casino through the now-broken front door, sending shards of wood and dust everywhere and drawing a scream from every female lip in the place. It was Creed, who was struggling to get back up after skidding to a stop on the wine-red carpet for several feet. He sent his black coat flying behind his back, all claws out and fangs bared.

Zero stood up swiftly, noting that Stryder was already moving forward and that Wraith had phased next to Victor, joined by Dukes and just as he started to pull out his guns, a rough hand pushed him aside and the angel walked by him steadily, throwing off his trench coat in a sleek movement.

The feral female turned to him, tilting her head slightly. "Gabriel?" Her voice was blank of all emotion, her posture unsure…

"Chelsea, get ready to fight." The angel ordered in a dark voice, opening his huge wings behind his back. It was quite a sight to see, the long, soft appendages being covered in silky, pearly-white feathers that were bristling as if ready for attack. The wings clenched and unclenched, impatient and powerful. He stopped right beside Creed and the mutant girl joined him, jumping off the counter gracefully, walking sensually up to her partner and standing right behind him. She ignored Victor's interested look and John's nod, but not because she was contemptuous… to Zero, it seemed as though she was unaware of her surroundings… it was odd.

The sounds of a fight reached them through the broken door and seconds later, Bradley came running in, panicked, followed by a blade-spinning Wade, who looked just as confused.

"We've got a casualty, sir. A pretty damn dual one…" He stopped right in front of the angel, staring at his wings with some surprise. "Well, you'd make a fine pillow, bird-boy, but we're gonna need more than down feathers to get out of this mess…"

"Wade…" Stryker began, but Gabriel sent him a look over his shoulder.

"You wanted to approach us, now here's you're chance to do it without screwing up. Stand back and let us take care of this; we're familiar with this type of situation."

Stryker paused, then nodded, and everyone took a couple careful steps back. Chelsea looked at them, her gaze pausing on Dukes, who sent her a wink, before emptily turning back to the broken opening of the casino. Several people were entering through it, holding guns and their obvious leader came closer, flanked by two small, identical Asian women wearing black leather clothing. The man was wearing sunglasses and a bearded smirk.

"Iyvan…" The angel growled almost angrily, narrowing his eyes.

"Shoulda known I'd find you here, Gabriel. And your pet is with you… how adorable. Your little government friends will be no problem, either…" The man gestured to the two women, who took a few steps closer simultaneously. "Ying and Yang here have got you all covered for a nice and painful death."

Gabriel shook his head. "These men are not friends of ours, and we don't need them to get rid of you. They'll be… watching, not participating." He turned his head slightly towards the feral girl. "Chelsea, are you ready to fight?"

She nodded briefly, finally focusing on the advancing Asian women.

The angel sighed, not even hearing the threatening man's last comment. "Let it all out then, _lovely_…"

And he lunged forward just as the Asian twins spun around to launch simultaneous kicks. His wings blocked the blows, but he received two new ones when the females punched him roughly in the ribs. They started to move at incredible speeds, dancing around the angel as he used both wings and arms to block the attacks, getting hit more than once. But no blood fell, no bone cracked… he could take a lot of damage before it started to show, even if it was from other mutants, like these two females.

Meanwhile, Chelsea doubled over with a groan under Team X's watchful stare. They saw her body buck violently and a feral, monstrous roar pierced her lips, where needle-sharp fangs had appeared. She stood back up to her full height, muscles moving like liquid under her tanned flesh, black claws replacing her nails, long and hooked and her eyes becoming that terrifying, slit pupil that stared avidly, ready for combat.

She roared so loudly the walls shook and launched herself into the brawl like a bolt of lightning, catching one of the Asian girls with a kick to the throat and grabbing the other by her tight black bun of hair, sending her crashing into a poker table. Chelsea showed her mouthful of fangs and bellowed at the men with the guns, making them raise their weapons all at once while Gabriel recovered and turned his huge wings to mobile metal.

He shielded Chelsea with one, expecting gunfire, but none came. Instead, the feral exploded from under his wing and slashed one of the Asian girls, who had snuck up on them without the angel noticing anything. He turned his head in time to dodge the second twin, avoiding the small blades she was now holding in her hands in an attempt to cut him. He sent one wings in an arc towards her, colliding it heavily with her body and making her tumble off into a corner of debris.

He spotted Chelsea a few feet away, deftly leaping out of the other Asian girl's blade range, bouncing off a wall or two like a super ball and landing back on her assailant's chest, knocking the air out of her. They went tumbling down, the feral settling right on top of the fighter, ready for the final move.

"Chel, no!" He cried out just as the female raised a clawed hand to finish the twin. She stopped in her motion and looked over at him, confused. "Don't kill her, she'd out cold. They both are." He added, trying to calm the raging beast she had become.

"You said to let it all out, Gabriel…" She whispered, but stood back up all the same, moving away from the girl. The leader of the mob seemed unsure of what to do, but gestured to his goons to pick up the Asian twins. They were best to be off before the mutants decided they wanted to stop them all once and for good.

"It's not over!" The man cried out meekly, remaining ignore by all as he ran out of the building quickly, followed by his crew. Gabriel kept moving towards his love, folding his wings to seem less menacing and extending kind, gentle hands.

"Chelsea, it's ok now. Time to change back. I know it's been a while since you've had to fight; I know it's hard. But you can do it, come on…" He told her softly, trying to stay encouraging. Every member of Team X stood there in a kind of surprised awe, wondering earnestly what was up with the girl and why she was so strange. Even Stryker hadn't been aware of her odd condition, and Stryker was always aware of _everything_… there was an information he was missing, which meant that what was said about her in her file might not be entirely true; there was more to this feral than bargained.

Speaking of which, Chelsea shifted uncomfortably, a low growl escaping her lips. She showed her fangs to Gabriel, but her eyes remained pleading. "It hurts to change…"

He nodded. "I know, but you've got to do it before you hurt someone. Don't worry, lovely, I'm here for you and you can't hurt me."

Her strange, silvery, slit eyes turned away from the angel and fell, piercing, on Creed as she sniffed the air. "He smells like me."

Gabriel grabbed her upper arms gently. "Change. Now."

Chelsea obliged with a long, pained groan. She threw back her head, eyes closed, and they all saw her fangs and claws recede slowly back into her skin. When she opened her eyes again, they were a normal format and color, like that of any human. What was animal within her had vanished into the dept of her soul and Gabriel pressed her to his chest, turning his head slightly so he could look at the mutants behind him.

"There, you're approached us and have seen what we do. Now, what do you want?"

Stryker took a few steps forward, hiding his victorious grin. "We can discuss that on our way back to the base."

The angel looked down and slowly, nodded.

(0)

"I came for you to ask you to join my team. You've seen them all already, even if you haven't been properly introduced." Stryker named everyone who was in the helicopter with them, so the two new mutants could get acquainted with Team X. Bradley waved and smiled when his name was said, from the pilot's seat, where he was controlling the chopper with his mind.

The angel nodded to each, while the feral girl looked out the window at the scenery flashing by, ignoring everything that was happening. "My name is Gabriel, and this is Chelsea. I guess you already know much about us, if you looked us up and found us. But what I would like to know, is why on earth the two of us would like to join your team."

Stryker smiled knowingly. "I can offer you the freedom you could never find in the human world."

"I am already free." Gabriel shifted his wings slightly, one of them bumping into Chelsea, who turned around with a soft smile, looking at him kindly. He returned her look. "And she can't be free. It's been years since… since… what she is, is a continuous torture for her. The animal inside her has become something uncontrollable, something painful and when it come out, it doesn't want to go back in… you've seen it with your own eyes."

Creed tilted his head, looking at the small female intently. She crossed his gaze and for a moment, a flash of something powerful stirred beneath her chocolate irises, but it was gone before he could be sure. Still, this talk of an animal buried within her… it could end up being a lot of fun if he got to play with her a little… a smirk appeared on his face, but no one seemed to notice.

"Well then, I can only say this:" Stryker's eyes became more serious as he gazed intensely at the angel. "This life the two of you have, I know you've had enough of it. Chelsea if obviously… not herself anymore… and you don't know what could help her. She'd not safe around anyone, even herself… I can offer her the possibility to re-adapt to her powers, perhaps even to heal… I can also give you the possibility to _really_ help those in need, like I know you do when you rob those banks, casinos and mobsters before dumping the money to the poor. There's a lot you can do for yourself, for others and for Chelsea if you decide to join my team."

Gabriel sighed, looking down sadly. Then, after a couple seconds of deliberation, he started to slowly nod. Zero smirked softly at this; indeed, the major always had the right cards in his hand, even if he was playing them blindly.

"I know you're right. She needs to do something about herself… she's a feral by nature; it's a part of who she is! The… events that lead to her… condition, they were not supposed to happen and if they did, it was by my fault. We will join."

At that moment, as if sensing her partner's guilty sadness through her own hazy world, Chelsea grabbed one of his arms lovingly and gently ran her hand over it, soothing.

"My changing hurts you more than it hurts me. I'm sorry, Gabriel. You shouldn't have come after me." She whispered.

He looked stunned. "Chel… I- I couldn't have left you…" But she was already uninterested by everything, looking outside with heavy eyes. The moment of lucidity had passed in a flash.

"What does she mean, come after her?" Stryker immediately asked, very curious.

Gabriel sighed and everyone listened more intently, strangely fascinated by this couple's odd story.

"Seven years ago, she got shot when we tried to rob a place. I flew with her, but I could only get to the desert and had nowhere to go to find her help. She was dying… I could feel her slipping… you see, it is possible for me to sense the world just behind this one, the one that precedes final death. People are always in limbo there before they move on, some of them for seconds, others for months… I knew I could find her if I went there too; I could bring her back! She was then my soul mate, my second half, destined to be mine… she is no more, however (his eyes seemed terribly sad, a self-reproach piercing in his tone)… so to save her then, I cut my arm to start bleeding, and for some reason, decided to have her take in my blood… but all I needed was to weaken myself enough to slip into limbo as well. Either way, when I finally found her, she had been so close to dying that it somehow affected her soul, and she's been strange like this ever since.'

'Before the accident, my presence made her morphing painless… but since that day, it had been unbearable for her every single time, as if she had lost control over her feral side when she was in that other world. And she'll be that way eternally…" He looked crestfallen, but that last comment piqued Wade's sudden interest.

"Wait a minute, when you say eternally, you mean like forever, forever? She took on your immortality?" Everyone looked surprised that Wade thought the angel to be immortal, even if it had been something Stryder suspected, but hadn't shared with the team. "What? I know he's got like super-skin, but I saw those Asian chicks going after him and not even Kitt-… Creed could take on that many blows without bleeding a little…"

Creed sent the mercenary a nasty look while Dukes stifled a small laugh, but Gabriel nodded, pleasantly stunned.

"Indeed, I am immortal. My skin is indestructible, although with enough blows given, it will start to wound… nonetheless, it heals within seconds after and that regeneration also works on my aging. I can control that restoration and that was how I could stop it from saving me when I had to slip into the next world. But I believe that by giving Chelsea my blood, I allowed it to combine with her body and… she hasn't aged a day since then…"

(0)

They arrived at the base quickly enough and dismounted from the helicopter. The whole team made it back into the entrance hall with Stryker leading them proudly, from where he turned to them and smiled.

"Well, I'll leave you all to get to know each other and the base. Bradley, John, if you could give them a tour…" The two mutants nodded. "It's late, so I'll see you tomorrow to discuss your payments for joining the team, Gabriel. I'm very pleased to have you on board."

The angel shook the major's hand gratefully. Yet somehow, he felt a twinge of unease settle in his heart, as if knew he could not fully trust the man… there was something he was hiding.

Then again, they were mercenaries now, employed for darker tasks that did not allow them to question the orders they received. And if he could find a way to make Chelsea normal again, Gabriel would give him all the trust he wanted…

(0)

Hehe, here I stop! BTW, For you who read the previous version, I corrected Stryker's name in this one… I was just so tiered when wrote this that I kinda forgot it wasn't Stryder… lol silly me. Thanks to Niffers who pointed that out.

Please go vote on my profile for the poll. I need to have your opinion, guys!

_Don't forget to review… or else!_


	4. Secrets and beasts

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, faved and alerted this story! You guys rock!

PS Thanks to Niffer, who pointed out a mistake in the previous chapter. I wrote Stryder, not Stryker and corrected the error… I was so tiered when I wrote the chappy that I just messed up his name.

(0)

As Stryker was about to leave the entrance hall, he stole a quick glance at Creed and Zero, catching their attention and silently ordering them to follow him. Looking at each other with a curious shrug, both men walked out of the room, following the major a leaving behind the others who chatted away happily with the newcomers.

The made their way without a sound to the major's office, where he finally sat behind his desk and gestured for them to come stand in front of it.

"I've already spoken to you of my future project of creating the perfect soldier, have I not?" Stryker started wearily, looking up at his two fighters. They both nodded in unison, trying to hide their obvious intrigue. "Well, I believe we have acquired the perfect piece to begin experimenting."

"The angel, sir?" Zero asked, frowning. Creed scowled slightly, but knew that the newcomer was indeed a perfect specimen, considering his powers… it was only a question of breaking him down and analyzing him, now…

"Yes, the angel." Stryker smiled knowingly, looking up at the ceiling. "I have an assignment for both of you. Zero, you are to find out by the most… subtle means what can and cannot destroy the angel. We're going to need him either in a coma or dead if we want to have the time we need to understand how he functions. And you, Victor…" The man glanced at the feral with a sigh. "The girl… she's proving to be more of a burden than expected, considering that she probably cannot do anything without the angel at her side. I need you to do whatever has to be done for her to break out of her shell and become autonomous. She'd going to have to be, if we want to keep her as a fighter, once he's not around to support her anymore…"

The smirk that crossed Creed's face was far from reassuring. He'd just been given the green light to mess with the feral girl, which he would have done either way, but now he had official permission to screw her up… she was done for.

"One last thing." Stryker gave them a very grave look. "No one but the three of us is to know what I asked you to do. No one. Is that clear? (the two nodded) Good… gentlemen, you are dismissed."

(0)

John and Chris gave the two newcomers a tour of the place, starting off with their playroom, moving on to the bathrooms and dorm corridor. Gabriel was asked to pick two rooms for himself and Chelsea, but he decided to settled them both in a single one, explaining that the girl often had nightmares and needed to be with him to calm down and not rip the walls to shreds when they happened. She followed them docilely through the whole walk, uninterested by what was being shown, silent and humming to herself. Chris kept sending her friendly, gentle glances and once, she responded with a kind, sheepish smile. He turned to Gabriel.

"Why is she still like this… you said it's been years since she… almost died… wouldn't she have healed by now?" They were back in the playroom, where Wade and Dukes were watching a football game, seated on the edge of the sofas, screaming when points were scored and groaning when the players couldn't get far enough on the field.

Gabriel looked at Chelsea sadly as she joined the two on the couch, staring blankly at the television. "I believe that… the one you call Victor Creed, he is a feral as well, right? And he has a regenerating ability." John and Chris nodded. "Well, Chel cannot regenerate herself. All my blood succeeded in doing to her is prevent her physical aging… but her skin can still be wounded and she cannot heal it any faster than a normal human. Perhaps Creed would have been able to reverse the damaged done to his brain, if he had almost died, but she cannot… the animal in her has grown unbalanced and she cannot control it anymore…"

Wade laughed from the couch, turning around slightly. "I don't think Kitty Claws can heal the damage to his brain. Otherwise he'd be less of an idiot."

"Come again, Wade?" A voice behind them snarled lowly. They all spun around, noticing that Zero and the male feral had just joined them, entering through the far door of the room. Creed looked somewhere between amused and pissed, fangs showing in an aggressive smirk.

Wade got up, grabbing one of his swords and starting at the feral with an expectant face. "You know your kitten claws are no match for my blades of doom. Just accept the truth and live it down, Creed…"

"You wanna bet on that?" Victor growled, his claws slipping out of the end of his fingers, long and menacing.

Dukes moved closer to Chelsea, whispering in her ear. "I'm putting twenty bucks on Wade."

The girl gigged softly, looking at him with amused eyes and Gabriel noted the exchange immediately, slightly surprised to see the young girl respond to such a comment, as if actually understanding the situation… was it coincidence or did she have a moment of lucidity?

"Fight room. Now, Wade." Creed growled, turning around swiftly and walking out through the far door. Wade jumped over the couch, grinning, and sped off after the furious feral with his blades spinning in his hands from the excitement.

John sighed softly. "I guess this is as good a chance as ever to show you two the Fight room. Come on now, before they kill each other and the demonstration is over."

(0)

The six members of Team X made it to the observation room just in time, as the fight down below in the FR started. Wade requested there be no extra challenges, wanting to fight Creed without distraction and Chris immediately explained what the 'extras' were to a fascinated Gabriel.

The angel honestly wowed and complimented the many consoles that recorded, controlled and usually added danger to the fight, impressed by the paintball and holographic fighting options. In his fascination, he failed to notice Chelsea, who was standing at the big glass window that overlooked the huge room, following the furious, high-speed battled down below without missing a thing. Zero followed her every reaction carefully, noting in Creed's absence exactly what made her tick and react, knowing that even though he didn't particularly like the feral man, it was in their best interest to work together on understanding the new pair.

Dukes was cheering Wade on loudly, grinning as Wraith softly commented on the good and bad moves the two made below, hoping to enlighten the young girl that seemed simply mesmerized by the battle. She was drinking in his words, aware for once that someone was talking, all the while memorizing the way Creed assaulted the mercenary.

The fight was raging on with surprising fury, Wade quickly dodging the rapid feral and blocking his claws with agile blades, while Creed pounced and threw powerful blows meant to hit the young fighter. They were jumping off the cylinders in the room, using them to propel themselves one at another in an amazing clash of weaponry.

Chelsea turned around suddenly, facing away from the window, and looked right at Chris with wild eyes.

"I want to fight Creed." She ordered and everyone in the room suddenly noticed that her pupils, although still surrounded by chocolate irises, had become slightly elongated into catlike slits. Gabriel stared at her, shocked.

"You… want to fight? But, Chel…" He stopped himself short when she shook her head, a slightly manic grin spreading over her face.

"Now." The words were punctuated by a low growl and her irises stared to fade, her slit pupil crawling out of them, becoming long and terrible. Black, hooked claws slowly emerged from her tense fingers and she groaned with the pain they caused, closing her eyes for a moment. Gabriel nodded at Chris, shrugging his shoulders hopelessly.

The young blonde used his mind to access the intercom and communicate with the FR. "Uhhh… guys… Chelsea wants to try and fight Creed… right now."

The two below stopped brutally, panting slightly from the effort they had just given and glanced up at the observation room.

Silently, Creed was feeling victorious at the girl's choice. This had taken less time than expected and with a little luck, he might even be able to understand her enough during their fight to force her animal part out so far it finally regained its place inside of her and the balance returned. That was what was expected of him and he'd make it his pleasure to achieve his goal before Zero was done with his own assignment.

Wade shrugged, putting his blades away. "Truce?" He asked with a grin.

Creed smirked. "Don't count on it."

(0)

Chelsea stood yards away from Creed, her bare feet in the sand that covered the ground of the FR, looking around curiously at all the cylinders as if to calculate how they could be of use to her. She had needle fangs pointing out of her mouth, black claws still present on her toes and fingers, restlessly shifting as her gaze finally fell on Creed, piercing and terrible.

She sniffed the air. "You smell like me."

He smirked. "That's cuz I am like you. Only stronger."

Chel revealed her pointed array of fangs with a dangerous grin, bowing her body slightly as if to pounce. It was an open challenge, one only another feral could understand and Creed didn't waste a second in taking it up.

He leapt through the air, running on all fours towards her, claws extended and deadly. He swiped them at her at the last moment, but she jumped right out of his reach, coiling herself into a ball of muscles on the vertical surface of a tall cylinder, shooting away from it in a rebound that allowed her collide a foot with his jaw. She had moved with speed he had never seen before, so quick she appeared blurred to everyone.

The kick sent him flying and tumbling into the dusty ground yards away, but he jumped back up to his feet rapidly, growling angrily. He had already healed from the blow, feeling no pain.

She looked at him body tense and ready for anything, awaiting his next move.

Creed did not hold himself back. He let the animal out, doubling his speed and strength, going berserk to get a hold on the girl She was fast, but she was also fighting against her nature, which de-concentrated her and made it eventually hard to keep dodging the claws aimed at her. They were jumping all around the room, shooting like bullets form one column to another, using their claws as anchors over the smooth, vertical surfaces. Chelsea, unable to form a coherent attack plan in her confused mind, found herself simply trying to escape the determined feral that was following her relentlessly, claws swiping at her ankles in an attempt to catch her.

The other members of the team were follow the fight with awe from the observation room and Gabriel was writhing his hands worriedly, frowning and nearly praying that nothing bad would happen to the feral girl. He had no idea what to think of this, because it was the first time in seven years that he actually saw her fighting willingly even if she was just incoherently dodging assaults at the moment. For a moment, it even seemed to him as if she was resistant enough to tire Creed to the point where he'd be weakened, but just as that thought crossed his mind, the feral male swung out a clawed hand that latched onto Chelsea ankle, wounding her.

She let out a furious, pained roar, letting go suddenly from the cylinder she'd been escalating. Creed dragged her down, twisting in midair at the last moment to crush her into the sandy ground as he landed just feet away on all fours without a scratch on him. Refusing to abandon now that he had her hurt and down, he leapt on top of her twisting body, pinning her into the dust with strong arms.

"Let go!" She snarled, slit eyes squinting angrily. What followed were a series of animal cries, roars and growls as she tried to struggle out of his grasp, snapping her needle fangs at his face and arms, none of which she could actually reach. Creed smirked dangerously, feeling the animal inside of her taking over bit by bit as she became harder and harder to maintain to the ground. He growled deeply right back at her, knowing it would only draw out the beast more… her smell was changing, becoming more feral, more powerful… she smelled like desire and wilderness and dirt, like pine trees and rivers…

For a moment, things seemed to stay suspended. He took in her scent, enthralled and she continued to fight, snarling with even more fury.

But then, the door leading into the Fight Room burst open with a bang and the angel's voice rang out, full of worry and panic.

"Chelsea, no!" He screamed, rushing up next to them and using a powerful wing to simply throw Creed off his love, sending him flying, startled, into a cylinder. He grabbed onto the berserk, struggling girl holding her by the wrists and trying to calm her down. In her rage, she bellowed and roared and sank her pointed fangs into his arm, drawing a pained gasp from his lips. But even if those needle teeth seemed sharper than razors, they did not pierce his skin and draw blood… at least not immediately…

He started talking to her in a low, soothing voice and she stared at him, panting, eyes wild and her fangs still sunk into his arm, where they were slowly starting to puncture the flesh.

"Chelsea, listen to me. Listen to my voice. You've lost control. You can regain control. Just listen to my voice and remember who you are. You are not an animal, you are a human being and you have always been. You can win against it, Chelsea, just listen to me. Please, it's time to change back, Chelsea." With every word he said, she seemed to calm down a little more, eventually releasing his arm and lying back down on the ground, her eyes still staring wildly around. The rest of the team looked at the scene, silently standing behind the angel, knowing it was probably best if they didn't interfere.

The girl closed her eyes and groaned painfully, her fangs turning back into normal teeth and her claws receding back into her fingertips. She started to breathe slowly, soundlessly and they all realized she had lost consciousness.

"Should we take her to the infirmary?" Wraith asked carefully when Gabriel stood, holding her in his arms tenderly. The angel shook his head.

"No, she just needs to sleep. This has taken a lot out of her."

The all exited the room, and Zero threw a calculated, understanding look at Creed as the feral rose from where he'd been thrown to. They silently agreed to meet away from all ears and eyes to discuss what they would be doing next.

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How did you like this chapter? I'm trying not to go too much into useless details and give you as much action and awesome as I can…

For you guys who voted on my poll, why don't you want Perfect Soldier and Clockwork to go into a sequel? I don't think I'll write one if I don't combine the two stories… it could actually be pretty awesome if I did, and I have a good idea for it already. Review and give me your opinion.

**And remember, many reviews=quick updates.**


	5. Weak point

Thank you for reviewing, guys, it's awesome to have your comments and see what you think!

I hope you like this chapter as I dedicate it to the first real snow here in Quebec! W00t soon, I will be building giant igloos.

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Creed followed Zero's scent through the maze that was the underground of the base's complex. In the many room he crossed, he knew there were important (and possibly illegal) experiments being conducted, because most of the other rooms served as holding cells for prisoners on which tests were being made… the feral could smell blood, fear and anger coming from most closed doors…

But the Asian man's trail was the freshest one, as he had probably walked the same path only minutes ago, knowing that Creed would locate him no matter where he went. The feral reached a closed room, where the scent ended and walked right into it without knocking.

Zero was standing against an old table, hand on the gun at his hip and eyes grave.

"Nice going, Creed, now the angel's going to overprotect her and we won't be able to work her back to a normal state." The agent snapped as soon as Victor shut the door behind himself. The feral answered with an alarming growl that showed his pointed fangs quite clearly.

"At least I tried something."

"At least I'm planning my moves, unlike you. We're not going to succeed if you just go fighting your way into everything like this without a plan. Control yourself." Zero hissed, eyes narrowing. Creed _was_ controlling himself… it was taking him every ounce of his will to not simply decapitate the Asian man on the spot and leave his body to rot in the underground of the base.

"Let me remind you," His eyes were flashing bright with suppressed fury. "I wasn't the one to run after a fight with her. She came to me. I did what I was supposed to do."

The two glared at each other for a long, heavy moment of silence. At long last, Zero blinked and looked away, sighing.

"Either way, the angel won't let her throw herself into a fight again. We'll have to find another way of awakening whatever is hiding in her."

Creed smirked. "_I'll_ have to find another way. Why don't you just focus on what you were assigned to do?" Without another word, he opened the door behind him, stepped out and slammed it shut so hard that Zero flinched.

The Asian man ran a hand through his hair, scowling. This wasn't going to be easy.

(0)

Gabriel set Chelsea down on the bed in their room, covering her with a beige bed sheet and followed Chris and Wraith to the playroom with his shoulders and wings hunched down sadly. Both mutants noticed his depressed mood and tried to cheer him up.

"C'mon, she'll be alright." Chris said in an encouraging voice, settling down into the sofa that faced the TV, inviting the two others to join him as he turned the machine on with his mind. Wade and Dukes were nowhere to be seen, so it was to be assumed they were either sleeping or in the FR. Either way, the playroom was now a lot calmer without the two of them screaming at the television like they so usually did.

"I don't know…" Gabriel sighed, turning a vague attention to the commercial now playing on the big screen.

John punched the angel's arm in a friendly gesture. "Oh, try not to think about it, Gabriel. Maybe this was actually good for her… maybe it's better that… the feral inside of her tries to break free. It could set her right again…"

The angel shook his head. "No. I believe that the feral inside her is not actually the same thing as what Victor Creed is. She is human to start with, not an animal. It was always painful for to become that… thing… at least, until I showed up. It became easy after that, because the creature was no longer trying to win over her; it wasn't trying to consume who she was. But her death… it unbalanced everything. The beast became too powerful and I believe it actually ravaged a part of her mind before she was able to regain control over it. If it takes over, I fear it will do so for ever and I will loose the Chelsea I know…"

There was a long moment of silence, during which all three men gazed at the television absently.

Chris cleared his throat. "But… we saw her… twice already, turning into the animal. She used that power to fight and she was able to return to herself again."

"Indeed. However, if you had been pulled out of the world between the worlds against all odds like she has been, perhaps your power would have turned on you too." Gabriel said softly, a guilty look flashing across his face as he remembered that it was his fault the girl was like this. "However, that theory is unreasonable. You are not at war with your power, Chris. With Chelsea, it was always as though two being were fighting for control. She can still morph, yes, but only when it is absolutely necessary and even then, I fear she will get eaten away by the feral side of her."

John gazed absently at the angel, debating if he should share the comment that was on his mind. He decided against it.

Gabriel did not need to be chided at the moment for maintaining a life of thievery after the girl had become so unbalanced, continuously exposing her to a danger and the necessity of becoming a feral in order to protect her life.

However, the angel looked over at him with eyes that showed he was suspecting that trail of thought.

"The last coherent thing she told me that sounded remotely like the Chelsea I knew and loved, after she returned from the dead, was that she wished to continue 'stealing from the rich and giving to the poor'. I knew no other life with her, so I did as she asked me to do. I knew all along however that I would keep fighting so the beast inside of her never breaks free." He assured. The two others nodded and turned their attention to the television, their minds still on the poor girl.

Creed smirked from the doorway in which he stood like a shadow, unseen and unheard by any of the three men in the room.

_We'll just see about that_.

(0)

Chelsea was sleeping in the queen-sized bed, chest rising slowly with each deep breath she took, eyelids trembling furiously from the dreams that were invading her mind. Creed gazed at her silently; standing with his shoulder pressed against the open doorframe, arms crossed over his broad chest and steel eyes following her every twitch. From where he was, he could easily hear anyone coming down the long corridor of the dorm section, all the while observing his prey. If the angel left the playroom to check on her, he'd be gone and unseen in a flash.

She shifted with a growl under the bed sheet, eyes splitting open quite suddenly to focus on the feral man as if she knew all along that he was there. He smirked at her, unmoving, showing off his pointed fangs.

Slowly, the female sat up and stared at him with curious, chocolate irises.

Creed let a long, low growl build in his chest, neither menacing nor inviting and it seeped through his lips to meet the growl the girl was returning at him instinctively. He could see the animal inside of her shifting behind her eyes as her smell changed slightly into that of wilderness. She tilted her head strangely with an expression that told him he had her full inquisitive attention.

"You intrigue me. I will figure out how you work, little girl." He whispered softly, flashing her another dangerous grin, her enthralling feral smell still obliterating everything else in his mind.

With that, he was gone, moving soundlessly to his room with a single thought in his head:

Zero was wrong. He didn't need a plan.

He would pull this off because the girl herself functioned without a plan.

(0)

"I'm not sure about this." Gabriel said uncomfortably, pushing sand around with the tip of his boots as he shifted on the floor of the Fight Room, looking up at the crowd of people gazing at him from the observation room. The whole of Team X was there, along with an oblivious Chelsea that was vaguely staring at him, not fully sure what was going on.

"Don't worry about it, we'll go easy on you. Besides, Stryker wants a full report of what you can do while fighting, and we can't really deny him that." Chris informed him through the intercom.

"Yes. I understand…" The angel sighed as he extended his wings fully behind his bare back. It had been a while since he'd actually fought and he was feeling awkward.

Chris nodded up above. "Ok, so this is how the holographic images work: we'll start with five and if you manage to hit them, they will vanish and give you a point. However, if one of them hits you, it counts as a point towards them. We'll add more and more at a time as we go and after three minutes, we stop and count the points. Got it?"

Gabriel showed him he got the point and prepared himself mentally.

"Ok then. Three, two, one… Go!"

Five images of winged fighters carrying swords appeared all around him. They wore helmets and identical armors, making it impossible to tell one apart from the other, but their feathery appendages informed the angel immediately that they would be following him in flight.

He flapped his powerful wings only twice and was already shooting away from the ground like a bullet, the fighters close on his tail. However, Gabriel was seven hundred years old and even though he was a little rusty on the battle aspect, he was very agile with the wings that followed him eternally through life.

The angel swirled and dodged through the air a lot faster than the images could go, quickly managing to position himself behind them and lash out both feet and wings, eliminating all five fighters within a few seconds. Kind of proud of himself, he turned around in midair with a grin, immediately spotting the new holographs. They were seven, only a few yards away from him in midair.

He charged at them, wings beating the air soundlessly yet powerfully, determined to repeat his previous technique and circle them to attack from behind. This time, however, the images split up and surrounded him smartly, thwarting his attempt at an assault. Surprised, the angel tried to dodge seven simultaneous attacks, all at different angles and got painlessly hit by at least three of the fighters before being able to get out of their trap.

He was nonetheless impressed, seeing that the machine creating the illusion had understood his tactic and had changed its own plans to place a couple hits on him. He was grinning wider than ever, actually enjoying this challenge. It was a lot like high-speed, airborne chess.

And Gabriel was good a chess.

(0)

Chelsea was looking at her angel worriedly, hands pressed against the observation room's glass window. As soon as the fight had started, she had become aware of it.

"Gabriel!" She cried out as the images slashed at him, landing a few hits. The girl seemed unable to understand that the man was in no danger, so John set a reassuring arm around her shoulders as he spoke to her softly.

"He's ok. Your angel is invincible either way, isn't he?" He said kindly, hoping it would calm her. Behind them all, Zero was listening very intently to the quiet conversation.

She looked upset, following his moves with terror in her eyes. "Not if he's getting so many hits at a time! His skin will give in! They are going to kill him if he can't rest and regenerate!" Her distress was almost out of control and it was the only thing that prevented the rest of the group from noticing the sharp intake of air Zero took as he heard the information. Everyone was focused on her, even Creed.

John was at a loss, not knowing what to say, so Dukes stepped up behind her and grabbed her around the wait with two strong hands, forcing her to look away from the battle and face him. He grinned and patted her head pleasantly, noting that she was calming down and loosing focus with the world again.

"Little lady, you worry too much." He chuckled, pulling her to the back of the room so the others could watch the fight undisturbed.

Creed followed her with a predator's gaze as Zero smirked slightly. At least they knew that repeated blows could harm the angel being… he had previously told them that he could heal himself, but not that continuous blows would eventually remain on his skin if he didn't rest.

So theoretically, he wouldn't be able to heal fast enough if a rain of bullets and claws endlessly maimed him… perhaps they'd even get his body weak enough to inject him with sedatives that would allow them to restrain him… They would need _at lot_ of ammo and a very determined Creed, but they knew now that Gabriel could be hurt and probably be immobilized.

They just needed the right moment to strike and an autonomous Chelsea that wouldn't need the angel anymore.

(0)

Sorry, this is where I stop for now. I hope you liked it and I'll try to update sooner even though I'll be working two jobs for the next couple of weeks.

Tell me what you think!

_**REVIEW!**_


	6. Breaking free

Oufff… and I thought that the holidays would give me time to relax! It's been party after party here and I'm exhausted! Anyways, I will put my heart into this chapter in hopes that you like it.

Enjoy!

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Night had fallen over the base for several hours already and everyone was asleep in their own room, resting up to be ready for what the following day brought them… actually, it appeared that a single person was still stalking through the darkness of the base, unable to find rest…

Victor Creed was walking the dark corridors like a shadow, soundless and unseen, feeling a desperate itch aggravating him, making his mind race and soul crave freedom. He wasn't big on long nights of sleep, but wasn't an insomniac either, so to be unable to get some shut-eye was a reason enough for him to wonder what was wrong. It felt as thought lightning was shooting through his veins instead of blood, grasping at his heart and electrifying his mind with every jolt… his very skin was annoyingly sensible, along with all his senses and he kept fighting a powerful urge to release the animal inside of him entirely so it could wreck havoc at will…

The male feral walked through the passage that housed the dorm room on either side, lost in his thoughts. Beyond the doors, he could hear soft breathing and light snoring, depending on who was occupying the room and all seemed deeply asleep… all but one being, who's heart he could feel racing even through the thick wooden door that separated him from it…

He stopped suddenly, sniffing the air in front of the room. The feral had little trouble identifying the warm, wild smell that reached his nose and made him smirk animally. He growled softly, revealing his fangs in amusement and heard a responding purr from behind the door.

It swung open very slowly, and a small shape came shuffling out uncertainly into the darkness of the corridor, looking down and clenching her small hands into fists. Chelsea growled again, uncertainly, showing off tiny rows of fangs that were beginning to replace her normal teeth. She glanced up at Creed and quickly looked away again, as if showing submissiveness.

As much as that behavior appealed to Victor, he didn't want her to be afraid, so he stepped back a little.

"I know you can hear and understand me, so listen. The feral in you is a part of you. I can feel how much it begs to be let out and I'm sure it's pretty damn hard for you to handle, otherwise you'd be asleep with your angel boy. Follow me and I'll make you see there's nothing to be afraid of." The feral spoke softly, cautious not to wake up anyone. He breathed in longingly, tasting the change in the girl's smell; again, she was all wilderness, forest and female… his instincts were threatening to take over and for a moment, he wondered if he would be able to carry out Stryker's mission this time… if he shouldn't just throw it all to hell and be gone with the feral girl…

Creed shook his head and turned away, walking through the corridor and out of the dorm section with Chelsea following soundlessly behind him. He decided to see how this all played out…

(0)

The wind was a light caress over his face, bringing in continuous new smells and making the animal within him stir restlessly. The base lay a few hundred yards behind him as he faced the lush forest that covered the remaining part of the island they occupied. Creed sighed deeply, enjoy the sensation of freedom that the night air brought him and almost forgot about the female still following him like a shadow. But he heard her sigh as well and groan slightly as her transformation forced itself onto her entirely, erasing her humanity and replacing it with a beast ready for flight.

"The moon is full." The girl suddenly stated, giving the feral a jump. He turned around, intrigued, but she was again staring aimlessly around herself, pupil-less eyes unfocused as her clawed hands hung limply at her side. Creed figured that he would never get anywhere if she stayed so damn recluse and emotionless, so he decided it was time to… stimulate her a little.

He bared his fangs and snarled aggressively, taking a menacing step forward. "Instead of making weather statements, maybe you should try fighting me again. Bet I can crush you like last time, frail." He took another step, crouching down into a pounce.

But Chelsea moved about a hundred times faster than he could have ever anticipated: instead of backing up silently like he had expected her to, she lunged right at him like a lighting bolt, all claws extended. She plunged needle-sharp fangs into his shoulder, grasping at his flesh with razor nails and drawing an alarmed grunt from his throat. He slashed at her to get her off, but she had already pounced away seconds before and his claws caught nothing but air.

Creed stared, completely at a loss, at the female feral that was grinning aggressively at him from a few feet away, half-bowing in mockery as she chuckled softly. The feral didn't know how to react to this outburst, so he simply smirked back as all the wounds the girl had inflicted vanished from his skin.

"Don't call me frail."

She pounced again at the speed of light, aiming to hit him again, but Victor side-stepped her attack with ease, dodging right out of her reach and leaping after her. She was already running on all four, head thrown back as she laughed to the moon, her hands and feet pounding the ground.

He had to push himself to the limit to be able to catch up to her just as they entered the dense forest. The feral found he had to admire her agility as she careened off trees with grace, ripping marks in the bark with her razor-sharp claws, whereas he was forced to collide with the trees and break his way through the vegetation. Creed was too massive to be able to move like her, but he was strong enough to be able keep up with her, ignoring the trees and branches that exploded away from him as he crashed into them.

They ran, she like the wind and he, like a storm and they eventually both burst out into a small clearing where the trees were nonexistent. Creed pounced rapidly and grasped the girl roughly around the ankle just as she made to dash off once again into vegetation. He brought her down to the ground and she snarled, bucking against him wildly and breaking free.

Like an untouchable flame, she danced around him rapidly, slashing and biting with a savagery like he had never seen and he didn't even think about blocking her attacks, too fascinated by her speed, her grace, her animal beauty… the muscles beneath her skin her twisting and turning like they had a mind of their own as she dodged his avid, clawed hands that reached for her…

There a slight, popping sound and none other than John Wraith appeared right next to the rabid girl, grabbing her by the arm and vanishing once again with a scowling look towards Victor Creed. They appeared instantly a few yards away, the girl thrashing angrily against John as he tried to calm her down and keep her in place.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Wraith?" Creed bellowed, anger flaring, as he stalked off towards them.

The black cowboy ignored him completely, looking up towards the sky.

"Gabriel! She's here, Gabriel!" He shouted loudly and seconds later a large shape came diving out of the clouds, landing with a loud swish of pearl-white wings. The angel stood up straight, menacing and furious for once, glaring at Creed with unmistakable hate. But his look changed when it landed on the aggressive feral girl that was still relentlessly trying to get out of John's grasp.

Gabriel's eyes filled with love and care and he took a step towards his loved one, extending a calm hand to grab her. Chelsea opened her mouth to reveal needle-sharp fangs and bellowed with incredible fury, just daring the angel to touch her. John used that moment to teleport himself away from her seconds before her extended claws decapitated her, leaving the girl standing alone facing the angel.

Gabriel tried to touch her again, but she reacted by sinking all her hand claws into his arms with such violence that they pierced his skin instantly and kept them there, preventing the wounds from healing. The man gasped softly from the pain but remained calm, looking into the slit eyes of the animal facing him.

"Chelsea, my Chelsea. Don't let it take control over you! I know you have it in you to calm down and become human again. Please, Chelsea…" Gabriel started, but the girl hit him hard over the face with a hand that she withdrew from the gash in his arm, spraying silver blood everywhere and shutting him up instantly.

"Stop calling me that! My name isn't Chelsea!" She roared, hitting his again after freeing her other hand and sending the angel crashing into the ground. John blinked, utterly aghast at the turn of events and Creed frowned slightly, noting that something about the girl was very different… she was shining with a strength and intellect he had never seen before, not to mention a bloodlust and fury to match his own… indeed, this was not Chelsea anymore…

Gabriel looked over at his loved one, confused. "What do you mean? What is you name then?"

Panting, for a moment the girl looked like she was about to strike him again. But then, slowly, her face changed and her body slumped slightly, exhaustion washing over her very soul as if she'd just lost a very long battle. It took Creed only a split second to understand that if she let go of that odd split personality of hers now, it wouldn't resurface again and he wouldn't get a chance at changing her and it took him even less time to decide on what he was going to do next.

He leapt with a roar right at her, too fast for even John to stop him and sent her flying into a nearby tree with all his strength. The bark cracked from the impact and Chelsea hiccupped, astounded by the sudden pain. But Creed didn't even give her the time to slide down to the ground that he was already pinning her to the rough surface by the neck with a huge, clawed hand, growling savagely inches from her face.

"Don't act like a fucking frail, girl, and let go of the animal in you. It's your nature and you're being a stupid shit by fighting it. What are you? Weak?" He snarled, provocative and aggressive. Chelsea responded wonderfully, the fury returning into her eyes with a renewed wave as she brought her legs up and kicked the feral off her, sending him flying into Gabriel, who had been running towards them at that moment.

The angel and male feral went tumbling across the clearing, skidding to a stop at it's edge and jumping up onto their feet to face the menace that Chelsea had become.

But no blows came, no slashing claws and not even a snarl. All they (and a nearby, startled John) saw was the feral girl standing yards away, slit eyes staring at them and fangs exposed in a slightly manic grin. Her posture was relaxed yet confident and Victor could very easily read the animal meaning to it: she was daring anyone to go against her and try to fight her down at that moment, as if she knew that she was now unbeatable.

"My name is Wolfang." The girl purred softly before pulling her head back and laughing heartily to the moon, as if trying to send her soul flying out of her mouth and toward it.

Creed knew at that moment that he had won.

(0)

Whatcha think? It happens kinda fast, I know, but I was in a fight mood yeah! Sorry uys for not updating sooner and I'll try to get more chapters on ASAP, I promise!

Please review and check out Clockwork.


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